What Once Was (The Man from UNCLE AU)
by febrezejim
Summary: Young Illya leaves his home and life behind because of what he thought was a betrayal from his childhood sweetheart, Ms. Gaby Teller. Only to be face to face with her again fourteen years later after the tragic misunderstanding. (Rated T just in case)


**Note: This is an alternate universe to The Man From U.N.C.L.E film adaptation. I tried to put in as many characteristics from the film into the story, but I am not entirely sure how accurate they are. So please no hate and do disregard the grammar because i'm not an expert. Enjoy!**

 ***These characters are not mine and all rights go to the owner***

He wasn't always a tall blonde brute. In fact, he used to be the exact opposite. He was once a short, scrawny, but understanding ten year old boy who kept to himself and always obeyed his superiors. Fourteen years later, and he's the hotheaded man he is today.

He once knew a young girl whom he grew up with. He and his family tended to her family's crops and gardens. Gaby Teller was her name. When his family fled Russia for Germany, the Tellers were the only people who were interested in hiring his mother and father. They were a kind and loving family. They graciously gave them a house to live in on a small part of their property for as long as they worked for them.

The days he helped his mother, Katya, with the gardens, he would take breaks to play with Gaby by their fountain.

"Come on Illya! You're so slow," she would laugh out to him. With her German accent clearly evident. She was a caring and loving spirit, just like her parents. Some days she would teach him english and maths because his family could not afford to send him to school. Although she was as gentle as her mother, Gaby could also be as intelligent and tough like her father. Illya admired that side of her.

He learned to grow fond of the now young, brunette woman. As they grew up they started to become inseparable. That is until one day, when a group of men in long thick coats with large guns clutched in their hands, had entered the Teller property. He remembers the day vividly. Fourteen year olds Illya and Gaby were out by the gardens when her parents walked out onto the patio with the men trailing behind them. Her parents and the men walked past the pair to the edge of the garden when Mr. & Mrs. Teller stopped, and the men headed towards where his parents were working on the shrubs and lawn.

"Papa? Papa!"

"Where are you taking him? Please! Stop!" he and his mother shouted while running to him. The men were now grabbing his father and taking him to the opposite end of the property. Illya looked to Gaby who was now standing by her parents with a concerned face.

"Mr. Teller, please do something!" he screamed at him as his mother stood sobbing next to him. Mr. & Mrs. Teller stood in their spot passively. By the time his mother had stopped crying and walked back to their cottage his father was long gone. Gaby's parents had already wandered silently back into their mansion that they call a house. As Illya sat still in the half cut grass that his father had been cutting, Gaby slowly made her way towards him. She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. Illya's mind was running wild with emotions and unanswered questions. He slowly started to tap his finger on his leg and began breathing heavily. All the pent up anger and questions began to pile up which made his finger tap rapidly, and his breathing heavier. Gaby noticed his tapping and lifted her head to look at him. She became more worried after seeing his wide eyes and clenched jaw.

"Illya? Illya, are you okay?" she asked. "Illya, I understand —"

"Stop! Shut up! No, you obviously _don't_ understand!" he yelled with his Russian accent. Her questions had only fueled his anger more. He didn't know why his father was taken away, and why her family didn't do anything to stop it. His father was innocent. Right?

"Illya calm down, you're just —"

He cuts her off as he stands up, "No. You're family are the ones to blame here. I have every right to be mad," he continues. "And _you_ , you stay away from me and my mother. Just, just leave us alone." he says as he walks away.

Gaby gets up to go after him, "Illya wait! You're, you're just seeing red, you don't really mean that. Let me help," she calls after him as he picks up the speed and breaks into a run. She's not fast enough to catch up to him so she decides to agree to his words, and give him some space until the morning.

Gaby didn't sleep much because she couldn't help but think about how guilty she felt. She knows Illya said it was her fault because he was mad and upset about his father. But she kept on wondering why her parents let those men take Mr. Kuryakin. Her parents and the Kuryakins were close.

It was now the morning and she needed to talk to Illya to make sure he was alright. She can't bare to think that Illya would be upset because of her, so she headed to his family's cottage by the edge of their garden.

"Illya?" she knocks. "Illya are you there?" still no answer. "Katya? Are you guys alright in there?" Its strange to Gaby that not even Mrs. Kuryakin wasn't even answering the door. By now Gaby would usually smell Katya's delicious Russian breakfast, as soon as she stepped out of the house. No matter what happened the day before, even when Illya had been missing one night and hadn't come home until mid day the next day, she still cooked breakfast. Maybe they decided to sleep in today, she thought. It was a long and eventful day yesterday. So Gaby decided that she would visit them later. As Gaby entered the dinning room she saw her parents already eating their breakfast at the table.

"Good morning Mama, Papa" she greeted.

"Good morning liebling (darling). Where were you? You're usually the first one at the table," her mother asked.

"Well, I went down to the gardens to find Illya. I wanted to make sure he was alright, but he didn't answer the door,"

"Oh, I see"

"Neither did Katya. Which is odd because she's usually up making her breakfast by sunrise."

"Sweetheart, they left last night," replied her father.

"What do you mean they l _eft_?"

"They quit, they're no longer working for us."

 **End Note: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story! Please do let me know if anyone does enjoy it and I will be sure to continue it and update the story.**


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